Gas fired cooker ignition system

ABSTRACT

A gas fired cooker ignition system including, in combination, a gas burner mounted in a housing and adapted to be lighted from a flame source generated externally of the housing. The housing includes an upstanding wall having an ignition port therein and the burner includes at least one gas outlet directing gas flow in the general direction of said ignition port. A hollow flash tube is mounted in said housing and includes an inner, open end spaced apart and generally facing said gas outlet of said burner. The flash tube is mounted to slope upwardly towards said inner end and includes an outer end provided with an ignition opening adjacent said ignition port of said housing wall. The flash tube is detachably secured to the housing wall, the ignition opening of the tube spaced closely adjacent the ignition port so that a flame source introduced into the housing through said port will flash through the tube and ignite the gas from the burner.

[451 Sept. n, 1973 GAS FIRED COOKER IGNITION SYSTEM [7 5] Inventor:Joseph J. Fijalkowskl, Hickory Hills,

[73] Assignee: Harper-Wyman Company, l-linsdale,

22 Filed: Feh.14l,1972

21-1 Appl.No.:22S,727

[52] 11.8. C1. 431/191 [51] 1nt. Cl. F23q 21/00 [58] Field olsearch431/191, 192, 193; 126/41 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS818,131 4/1906 Taylor 431/193 2,022,033 11/1935 Furlong 431/191 X546,923 9/1895 Groebbels 431/192 3,592,179 7/1971 Hahn 431/191 3,628,90312/1971 Hoyt 431/192 Primary Examiner-Edward G. Favors Attorney-RichardD. Mason et al.

1571 ABSTRACT A gas fired cooker ignition system including, incombination, a gas burner mounted in a housing and adapted to be lightedfrom a flame source generated externally of the housing. The housingincludes an upstanding wall having an ignition port therein and theburner includes at least one gas outlet directing gas flow in thegeneral direction of said ignition port. A hollow flash tube is mountedin said housing and includes an inner, open end spaced apart andgenerally facing said gas outlet of said burner. The flash tube ismounted to slope upwardly towards said inner end and includes an outerend provided with an ignition opening adjacent said ignition port ofsaid housing wall. The flash tube is detachably secured to the housingwall, the ignition opening of the tube spaced closely adjacent theignition port so that a flame source introduced into the housing throughsaid port will flash through the tube and ignite the gas from theburner.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures GAS FIRED COOKER IGNITION SYSTEM Thepresent invention is directed towards a gas fired cooking deviceignition system, and more particularly towards a system for igniting orlighting a gas fired burner provided in a housing or enclosure of anoutdoor barbeque broiler or the like.

One of the problems associated with gas fired cooking devices(especially those mounted out of doors), is to provide a reliable andsafe system for igniting or lighting the burner without causing aconcussive type ignition which is both frightening and often dangerousto a person attempting to light a cooking unit. Gas fired barbequegrills and the like which are mounted out of doors are subjected to widechanges in ambient temperature and wind conditions and often changingambient conditions cause difficulty in lighting the gas burner which isgenerally rather fully enclosed in a burner box or housing. Pilot lightsor electric ignition systems commonly used on indoor cooling units arenot satisfactory because of the wide range of ambient atmosphericconditions which the outdoor cooking units must face. For example, it iscostly and difficult to keep a pilot light burning all of the time foran outdoor barbeque grill which is only used intermittently. Moreover,relatively complex electric ignition systems are costly and arerelatively difficult to maintain because of the continuous exposure tothe wind, rain and snow in an outdoor location.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved, gas fired cookingunit ignition system.

More particularly, it is an object as to provide a new and improvedflash tube ignition system for a gas fired cooker.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedgas fired cooking deviceincluding a gas burner housed in an enclosure,which burner can be easily lit or ignited with a flame source generatedoutside of the housing and without any of the annoying concussive typeignition or flame propagation oftentimes associated with outdoor cookingunits and the like of the prior art.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedflash tube ignition system for an outdoor cooking unit, which system issimple and safe in operation, and extremely reliable even though ambientatmospheric conditions such as wind and temperature may vary widely andeven though the cooking unit may be open or closed or cold or hot.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedflash tube ignition system for a gas fired cooking unit which is safe,reliable and easy to use.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved flash tube ignition system for an outdoor, gas flred broilerwhich is reliable in operation even though the broiler may be hot orcold and even though the ambient temperature and wind condition may varywidely from time to time.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present inventionare accomplished in an illustrated embodiment comprising a cooking unithaving an ignition system for lighting a gas burner mounted in a housingorenclosure from a flame source generated externally of said housing.The housing includes an upstanding wall having an ignition port thereinand the burner includes at least one burner opening directing gas flowin the general direction of the ignition port. The ignition systemcomprises a hollow, flash tube having an open inner end spaced apartfrom and generally facing the burner part and the opposite end of thetube is provided with an ignition opening adapted to be positionedclosely adjacent the ignition port in the housing wall. When a match orother suitable flame source generated externally of the housing isintroduced into the housing through the port the flash tube carries theflame conveniently to cause ignition of the gas burner. The flash tubeis detachably mounted on the burner housing and slopes upwardly towardthe inner end so that draft characteristics through the flash tube aresufficient to insure ignition of the burner even though ambient thermaldraft characteristics around the housing may vary because the broiler ishot or cold, or has a lid or cover open or closed.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had tothe following detailed description when taken in conjunction with thedrawings in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of acooking unit including a gas fired burner and an ignition systemconstructed in accordance with the features of the present invention; 7

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a flash tube ignition system constructed inaccordance with the features of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong lines 33 of FIG. 2

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. 1, therein isillustrated a gas fired cooking device or barbeque broiler 10 whichincludes a gas fired burner 12 mounted inside a relatively large housingand enclosure having a lower pan like section 14 and a grill andremovable cover (not shown). The lower section of the enclosure aroundthe burner includes a bottom wall 16 and a peripheral, upstanding sidewall 18. The burner 12 is preferably of the type shown and described indetail in the copending U. S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 65,151, filedAug. 19, 1970 which application is assigned to the same assignee as thepresent invention, although other types of gas fired burners can beutilized. The burner 12 includes a peripheral side wall 20 spaced aconsiderable distance inwardly of the housing wall 18 and the burnerwall has a plurality of spaced apart, circular gas ports 20a andalternately spaced, vertical gas slots 20b for directing a combustiblemixture of air and natural gas outwardly in a general direction towardthe peripheral side wall 18 of the cooker housing.

In accordance with the present invention, the barbeque cooker 10includes a flashtype ignition system for igniting gas from the burnercomprising an elongated hollow, flash tube 22 formed of thin sheet metaltubing, and extending between the burner wall 20 and the housing wall18. The flash tube 22 is preferably circular in transverse cross sectionand includes an open, inner end 22a which is spaced opposite of anddirectly in facing communication with the burner wall port 200 and slots20b. The opposite or outer end of the flash tube 22 is formed with anotched out ignition opening 22b on the upper half thereof, whichopening extends inwardly from the outer end and is aligned closelyadjacent to and just below an ignition port or opening 18a formed in theupstanding, peripheral wall 18 of the broiler housing section M.

Intermediate the inner and outer ends of the flash tube, the tube wallis formed with an inwardly rolled, flow constriction 220 wherein thetransverse, cross sectional flow area of the flash tube is reducedsubstantially below the cross sectional flow area at opposite ends ofthe tube. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the flash tube is detachablysupported in the cooker housing 141 with its inner end mounted at anelevation above the outer end, so that the tube slopes upwardly toprovide a natural draft toward the burner ports a and slots 20b formedin the peripheral wall 20 of the burner 12. For the purpose ofdetachably supporting the flash tube in the burner housing in theproper, strategic position with the proper slope, a generally L-shapedsupport bracket 24 formed of a thin sheet metal strip is secured to theouter end portion of the flash tube. The support bracket 2d includes alower leg preferably attached to a bottom wall portion of the flash tubeadjacent the outer end by spot welding and an upstanding leg whichcloses or blocks off the outer end of the flash tube on a planeperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube. A short hook portionis integrally formed on the upstanding leg at the upper end in order toconveniently attach the bracket 24 to the housing wall 18. The hookportion extends through the ignition port 18a as illustrated and theflash tube can be easily inserted or withdrawn through the port 18a. Acap screw 26 is provided for securing the hooked end portion of thesupport bracket 24 in position as shown in FIG. 1 attached to theupstanding wall 18 of the burner housing. The threaded shank of the capscrew projects through a suitable, threaded bore provided in thedownwardly extending leg of the hook end, to permit ready attachment ordetachment of the flash tube.

The flash tube 22 is especially designed and strategically locatedbetween the wall port 13a and the burner 12 in order to provide for arapid ignition of the air-gas mixture emananting-from the ports andslots of the burner 12 when it is turned on. This rapid and controlledignition prevents an accumulatin or buildup of gas in the burner housing14 and in prior art units accumulations of gas before ignition oftencause a concussive or semi-explosive type ignition which is bothdangerous and annoying. When gas is turned on to supply the burner 12,the air-gas mixture from the peripheral ports and slots 20a and 20bflows outwardly towards the upstanding side wall 18 of the burnerhousing 14. Some of this gas flows into the inner, open end 22a of theflash tube and passes downwardly through the restriction 22c. Therestriction tends to limit and prevents an excessive amount of gas fromflowing toward the outer end of the tube so that when a match or otherexternal flame source is introduced into the interior of the housingthrough the ignition port 180 only a small portion of the air-gasmixture from the burner is initially ignited. After ignition occurs inthe area immediately above the outer ignition opening 22a of the flashtube, the flame subsequently flashes back and through the upwardlysloped tube towards the inner end 22a adjacent the burner. The flamethen rapidly ignites the air-gas mixture flowing from the ports andslits 20a and 20b around the peripheral wall 20 of the gas burner 12.

it has been found in numerous tests conducted with the cooking unit andignition system as shown and described, that rapid and effectiveignition or lightoff of the gas mixture from the burner 12 occurs when amatch or other flame source externally generated is momentarilypositioned in the ignition port 18a of the housing wall 18. It is notnecessary to try and push the flame completely inside the housing.Merely placing the flame in the vicinity immediately above the outerignition opening 22b in the flash tube is sufficient to cause rapidignition to take place regardless of the ambient conditions around thecooking unit 10. Ignition takes place in a rapid and efficient mannerand without a concussive type ignition with the accompanying noise andexcessive flame. with the flash tube 22, the gas-air mixture from theburner 12 can be easily ignited or lit by a small match or other flamesource externally of the housing. The ignition system is reliable in avariety of different conditions whether the burner and housing are hotor cold, or whether the lid or cover of the cooker 10 is in place oremoved and in a variety of different ambient weather conditionsincluding relatively high winds and relatively cold temperatures. Theflash tube ignition system 22 is simple of construction, reliable inoperation, relatively inexpensive and easy to install, clean and use. Acooker 10 equipped with a flash tube 22 as described is an extremelyversatile device capable of use in all kinds of ambient weatherconditions out of doors.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to asingle illustrative embodiment thereof, it should be understood thatnumerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by thoseskilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of theprinciples of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is I 1. A device for lighting a gas burner mounted ina housing from a flame source generated outside said housing; saidhousing including an upstanding wall having an ignition opening thereinand said burner including at least one burner port directing gas flow inthe general direction of said opening and spaced therefrom; said devicecomprising a hollow flash tube having opening means at an inner endspaced apart from and generally facing said burner port, said tubeincluding an ignition opening defined adjacent an outer end of saidtube; and means for mounting said tube in said housing slopingupwardlyfrom said other end toward said inner end with said ignitionopening thereof spaced adjacent said ignition opening in said housingwall.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting means is secured to saidouter end of said flash tube for supporting said tube with said ignitionopening thereof 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said flash tubeincludes flow constricting means for reducing the crosssectional flowarea thereof intermediate said ignition opening and said opening meansat said inner end.

d. The device of claim ll wherein said mounting means includes meansextended through said ignition opening in said housing wall fordetachably securing said flash tube to said burner housing. I

5. The device of claim ll wherein said flash tube is of circularcross-section and said opening means includes at least a portion thereofspaced above the level of said burner port.

' 6. The device of claim 5 wherein said. ignition opening of said flashtube is formed on an upper portion thereof.

7. in combination, a burner enclosure including an upstanding wall withan external ignition port therein, a gas fired burner mounted in saidhousing including at least one burner port directing gas outwardly in ageneral direction toward said ignition port and spaced apart therefrom,and a flash tube for lighting said burner from a flame source generatedexternally of said housing and introduced through said ignition port,said tube having openings at opposite ends and sloping upwardly in adirection away from said ignition port toward said burner port, one ofsaid tube openings spaced apart from a generally facing said burner portand the other tube opening adjacent to and spaced below said ignitionport.

8. The combination of claim 7 including support means for detachablysecuring said flash tube to said housing wall adjacent said ignitionport.

9. The combination of claim 7 including flow constricting means in saidflash tube between said openmgs.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said support means includes aportion partially closing off the end of said tube adjacent saidignition port.

1. A device for lighting a gas burner mounted in a housing from a flamesource generated outside said housing; said housing including anupstanding wall having an ignition opening therein and said burnerincluding at least one burner port directing gas flow in the generaldirection of said opening and spaced therefrom; said device comprising ahollow flash tube having opening means at an inner end spaced apart fromand generally facing said burner port, said tube including an ignitionopening defined adjacent an outer end of said tube; and means formounting said tube in said housing sloping upwardly from said other endtoward said inner end with said ignition opening thereof spaced adjacentsaid ignition opening in said housing wall.
 2. The device of claim 1wherein said mounting means is secured to said outer end of said flashtube for supporting said tube with said ignition opening thereof atleast partially below said ignition opening of said housing wall.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein said flash tube includes flow constrictingmeans for reducing the cross-sectional flow area thereof intermediatesaid ignition opening and said opening means at said inner end.
 4. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes means extendedthrough said ignition opening in said housing wall for detachablysecuring said flash tube to said burner housing.
 5. The device of claim1 wherein said flash tube is of circular cross-section and said openingmeans includes at least a portion thereof spaced above the level of saidburner port.
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein said ignition opening ofsaid flash tube is formed on an upper portion thereof.
 7. Incombination, a burner enclosure including an upstanding wall with anexternal ignition port therein, a gas fired burner mounted in saidhousing including at least one burner port directing gas outwardly in ageneral direction toward said ignition port and spaced apart therefrom,and a flash tube for lighting said burner from a flame source generatedexternally of said housing and introduced through said ignition port,said tube having openings at opposite ends and sloping upwardly in adirection away from said ignition port toward said burner port, one ofsaid tube openings spaced apart from a generally facing said burner portand the other Tube opening adjacent to and spaced below said ignitionport.
 8. The combination of claim 7 including support means fordetachably securing said flash tube to said housing wall adjacent saidignition port.
 9. The combination of claim 7 including flow constrictingmeans in said flash tube between said openings.
 10. The combination ofclaim 8 wherein said support means includes a portion partially closingoff the end of said tube adjacent said ignition port.